This invention relates to processed baby foods to be consumed by human infants and young children from the age of about 6 months to 2 years (typically infants up to age 12 months) depending on the individual's particular stage of development and food needs. Baby foods, such as dry infant cereal, pureed foods and bakery items are well-known and have been commercially-formulated with additional key nutrients, e.g., iron, zinc, calcium, etc. In most cases, these foods are low in fat and must be carefully fed in the correct amounts to assure that infants consume an adequate amount of kilocalories (Kcals) to provide the energy required for healthy growth and development. When fat has been added by commercial processors to these foods, the ratio of two specific fatty acids (linoleic acid (LA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA)) has not been a consideration. Hence, infants who are transitioning from a high-fat liquid diet (breast milk or infant formula) to a lower-fat diet of processed baby foods (or homemade baby foods) may not be able to consume the full amount of energy and/or the correct ratios of these fatty acids, which are precursors for the synthesis of two critical long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs): arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). LCPUFAs are required for healthy infant growth, and support a broad range of metabolic processes necessary for development and/or functioning of the brain, retina and other nerve tissue.
Accordingly, there is a need for a fat blend designed for use in processed baby foods which addresses not only the quantity, but also the quality of fat with an acceptable LA:ALA ratio, thus increasing the likelihood that the energy and essential fatty acid requirements of rapidly growing infants are consistently met on a daily basis.
Similarly, breast milk and some infant formulas contain factors that have been identified as nucleotides useful to the optimized development of the immune and gastrointestinal systems. Nucleotides may be considered “conditionally essential” in rapidly growing infants living in adverse environments. The addition of these nucleotides may enhance health and growth.
Situations under which these components may become conditionally essential include certain disease states and periods of limited nutrient intake or rapid growth, along with the presence of various regulatory and developmental factors which interfere with the body's ability to synthesize nucleotides. Furthermore, when infants are transitioning to solid foods, exogenous sources of dietary nucleotides may be particularly important. Examples include: 1) the breast-fed infant whose intake of breast milk decreases to less than the recommended intake (600–720 mL) resulting in a concurrent decreased intake of nucleotides; and 2) the formula-fed infant whose diet is low in nucleotides. In addition, the first complementary foods are often cereal, fruits and vegetables, all of which are poor sources of nucleotides. Thus, nucleotides may be conditionally essential, with the prudent step being to provide the infant with an additional dietary source of these factors. There are no formulations for baby foods that are supplemented with nucleotides. Accordingly, there is a need for processed baby foods to be supplemented with these components for increasing the likelihood that the needs for nucleotides by rapidly growing infants, transitioning to complementary foods, are consistently met on a daily basis.